Rowing Shell Sinking

[Conan71]

Okay, this wouldn't be so funny, if it weren't for the determination.  This was a KU womens rowing crew this last weekend at the Frostbite Regatta in Wichita, Ks.  My daughter is a member of Tulsa Rowing Club and said this was about 200 meters from the finish.  This link was emailed to me this morning.

Determination

[cannon_fodder]

I was yelling (in my head) for the front weight to abandon ship.  I guess I don't watch enough rowing, but is that a not-uncommon event for one to get swamped like that?

[Conan71]

You can scroll forward through the photos.  Apparently, they hit a bridge.  When they pulled the shell out, there was about an 8 to 10" section missing off the bow.

[PonderInc]

Rowing shells usually don't sink, they flip...but a cracked shell would definitely cause one to sink.  Since the rowers shoes are bolted into the boat, I hope they got their feet loose before the thing went under!

Random thoughts:
The coxwain faces forward so the rowers don't have to worry about steering and bridges....  In the Navy, a captain would lose his commission for running the ship aground.  What happens to coxwains who crash into bridges?

The winning crew team traditionally throws their coxwain into the water after a race.  I'm not sure what the tradition is in this case...maybe they whack the coxwain with their oars?

[Conan71]

My daughter had ankle surgery in early Sept. so she's coxing for the fall season and likely will be back to rowing in the spring, and hopefully on a scholarship in the fall on the OU women's team in the fall (becomes a scholarship sport at OU fall '08).

She mentioned as much that the coxswain would get a lot of crap over it.  In the year she's been rowing, I haven't seen them throw the cox in the water yet, might happen @ nationals.  She was in competitive gymnastics for ten years prior.  She needed a lower impact sport.  She's a total jock and I'm jealous.